If you’re working on a trail project in a wetland area, you have two options for your design: reroute the trail for a longer path or go through the wetland with a boardwalk. Wetland boardwalks can be tricky, especially with permitting restrictions and environmental factors to examine. Here are four topics to consider before you design your next wetland boardwalk project.

New Jersey recently proposed a measure that could greatly affect how boardwalks are maintained and funded in the state. In this measure, state legislators proposed that boardwalks should be included in New Jersey’s definition of “public highways” so that state highway funding could be used to develop and maintain boardwalk projects.

Boardwalk mileage would also be added to the state’s funding formula, allocating $400,000 a year for construction, repairs and maintenance.

Cantilevers are worked into the design of a boardwalk system when the landscape architect, civil engineer, or owner wants to get the end user closer to something, such as a scenic view, a body of water, or a point of interest. There are two main directions in which to cantilever a boardwalk towards this point of interest, from the front or from the side.

We’re excited to announce that PermaTrak was recently selected to be a part of the South Charlotte Connector project in Charlotte, NC. This project will extend the Cross Charlotte Trail 1.2 miles to connect with the McMullen/McAlpine/Four Mile Creek Greenway system. PermaTrak will partner with designer Kimley-Horn and the City of Charlotte to design two boardwalk crossings for this new section of trail in Mecklenburg County. OnSite Construction will serve as the contractor for the project.

Our engineering team often works with owners and designers to help determine pile size and spacing options for the boardwalk construction projects they’re evaluating. As professional engineers at PermaTrak, we take a support role in helping project managers, landscape architects and engineers pull together layout drawings for PermaTrak boardwalks and pedestrian bridges. Eventually these preliminary drawings can develop into a full set of detailed construction documents that can be incorporated into the bid drawings.

We love to see our concrete boardwalks being enjoyed by the community! On February 2, 2019, the Charlotte 10 Miler and 4 Mile Run took place in Charlotte, NC, with almost 1000 runners participating. The course for both races used the McAlpine Creek Greenway, which features two PermaTrak boardwalks.

We are thrilled to announce that a PermaTrak concrete boardwalk is slated to be installed later this year at Pikes Peak – the tallest summit of the Southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.